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After thirty-five years of providing quality educational opportunities to the community, Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC) needed to improve energy efficiency, meet the needs of increasing enrollment with increasing square footage, enhance student and staff comfort and embrace new technologies. Trane systems and controls were selected to help the college meet its objectives.

Working with its architect and Trane, OCCC developed a strategic plan. Chilled water plant upgrades help maximize operational efficiency and effectiveness. Controls were interfaced into the building automation system for auto adjusting pump pressure optimization, the constant volume three-way valve system was replaced with a two-way valve primary secondary chilled water system and a high-efficiency centrifugal chiller was installed. Dual duct air handlers were also replaced with variable air volume air handling units with direct digital controls in several campus buildings. The upgrades help reduce energy use while increasing capacity.

Improvements to an existing thermal ice storage system shifted ice production to low-cost evening hours. Use of the ice storage system saves energy and earns cost-saving credits.

The ice storage and other HVAC equipment are controlled by a remote-access Trane Tracer Summit™ building management system, which centralizes scheduling, controls and diagnostics throughout the campus. The system helps maintain comfort while ensuring that equipment operates at optimal energy-use levels. Energy savings is an ongoing process at OCCC and projects will continue to be monitored for new opportunities.

The upgrades have achieved OCCC’s goals:

Total campus square footage was increased by 30%

Energy use per square foot decreased by nearly 35%

"It’s about the efficient use of energy," said Chris Snow, OCCC assistant director of facilitation. "While we are definitely pleased with the results of the improvements, this is an ongoing project that is continually funded, monitored and updated. Our relationship with our architect and Trane isn’t a supplier/customer relationship, it is a partnership designed to ensure that we use energy as efficiently as possible."